7844: Highlights of Radio Metropole news (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Max Blanchet <maxblanchet@worldnet.att.net>

Haiti: Highlights of Radio Metropole news 1145 gmt 10 May 01
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; May 11, 2001


"The Morning News"; figures in brackets show the time elapsed since the
start of the programme

1. [00] Headlines.

2. [03] The international community is trying once again to find a solution
to the serious political crisis in Haiti. An OAS and Caricom delegation is
expected in Port-au-Prince this morning. This mission will be led by OAS
Assistant Secretary General Luigi Einaudi and Albert Ramdin of Caricom. They
will meet with the president of the Republic, as well as representatives of
the political parties and civil society. This mission is the result of an
agreement between the prime minister of Barbados, who is the current Caricom
chairman, and OAS Secretary General Cesar Gaviria. Members of the Carter
Centre, an American organization that plays and important role with OAS in
observing the electoral process in Haiti, will accompany this mission. The
formation of this OAS/Caricom team is a direct response to the request made
by Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien on behalf of the 33 regional
leaders during the conclusion of the Summit of the Americas in Quebec.
According to the OAS, this mission is a clear demonstration of its
commitment to accompany Haiti in its efforts to resolve the political and
economic crisis.

3. [04] The Democratic Convergence hopes its discussions with the OAS and
Caricom members will be positive. The Convergence leaders encourage the
international emissaries to maintain their neutrality in the dossier. Serge
Gilles explains the following: "We do not ask the people to treat the
dossier with subjectivity or in our favour. No, not at all. What we ask them
is to maintain their neutrality, to be objective, and to take things into
consideration."

4. [06] Members of the Civil Society Initiative Group [GISC] are said to be
ready to work with the OAS and CARICOM mission, which is due to arrive in
Port-au-Prince this morning. Professor Rosny Desroches of the GISC commented
on their possible meeting with the delegation.

5. [10] The arrival of the OAS/Caricom mission comes at a time when things
have grown worse between Lavalas and the Convergence, even before the
invitation to the Mupanah [Haitian National Pantheon Museum] meeting. The
international community will face a great task to calm people down.
Correspondent Goudou Jean Numa explained that the OAS/Caricom mission is not
welcomed by everybody, apparently. If GISC welcomes it, if Convergence
really desires it, the Presidency did not have an opinion on 9 May. A member
of the presidential information service said: "The mission will meet with
the president within the framework of its visit. That is all we can say. We
have no opinion right now." It should be remembered that OAS and the GISC
were not invited to the meeting that was to take place at Mupanah at the
invitation of the president.

6. [12] Last night, the government asked for the lifting of the European
sanctions on the occasion of the celebration of European Day in
Port-au-Prince. This request was made by Culture Minister Guy Paul.
President Aristide has multiplied his efforts to find a happy ending to the
post-electoral crisis.